We started with reading about all the different types of fridges like compressor, absorption or even ice, powered by gas or electricity, price differences and what pros and cons each type had and finding out which would be the best for our situation. For us, the best option turned out to be a 12V compressor fridge. They are said to be the most durable, draw little power, can be used as either a fridge or a freezer and are often used in 4x4 vehicles. The only downside was their price tag, which was a lot higher than we expected to spend on a fridge, but we realised that having a reliable fridge would be very important and going for a high-quality fridge would be worth the investment in the long run.
Then we looked into what specific brands were there to choose from and we started comparing specific models. A few characteristics that were important to us were things like size, quality, energy-efficiency, proven reliability and of course price. We spent a lot of time comparing specs, reading user experiences and reading about different technologies used. In the end, we ended up going for an Engel MR040. Engel is a legendary brand when it comes to reliability and longevity, we read some very impressive stories about people having used their Engel fridge for decades without any issues. Their compressor is considered to be the most reliable in the world and has only one moving part, which minimises the risk of failure drastically. As we were about to spent a lot of money on a fridge, the exceptional quality of the Engel fridges was definitely the factor that made us go for this brand and we were convinced our investment would lead to having a fridge that would last for many years to come. Their 40L MR040 was best fitting our demands, as it would fit behind the passenger seat and would give us plenty of capacity to store food for several days. We were very lucky to find a second-hand one in very good condition, only about an hour drive away, which saved us a lot of money compared to the retail price.